When he returned
by Alchemist14
Summary: It is four years after Chihiro left Haku at the train station and she is beginning to have trouble keeping faith in Haku. What happens when Haku returns, how will Chihiro react and how will their life play out now that Haku has returned. Will life be simple or will their past catch up with them? Please R
1. Chapter 1

A fifteen year old girl sat alone at a table in the canteen of the high school. Her long, chestnut brown straight hair was tied back tightly with a sparkly pink hair band that she fiddled with occasionally. She glared at her sketchbook lying open on the table top and scribbled something out, 'damn! ' She thought, ' I just can't get him right, ever!' Two girls in pink miniskirts and crop tops stalked towards her, high heels clicking on the marble floor.

"Hey freak" they sneered at her "still believing in spirits are we?" The girl stiffened in her seat and tightened her grip on her pencil "still do and always will" she spat out through gritted teeth "now why don't you go and hang out with the rest of your Barbie friends." They gasped and the tallest slapped the girl around the face 'Chihiro, don't be so rude! You're just sad because you don't have any friends and your spirit boy isn't real!' Chihiro stood up, fists clenched at her sides and slowly turned to face them, "you know nothing about me" she screamed "I hate you and I hate this school, why won't you believe me!" She launched herself past the girls and ran from the canteen, leaving the girls to gape at the now empty space.

Chihiro ran and ran and ran as fast as she could, ignoring the tears streaming down her face and not paying any attention to the direction she was running in, she just wanted to get far, far away from the people telling her she was crazy and that world didn't exist. She just wanted to see him. She tripped on a stone and fell to her knees in the middle of the road, she gasped and choked on a sob. Glancing around her she was surprised to find that she was kneeling in front of the same stone statue the car had stopped in front of all those years ago, the statue where she had left Haku behind. The pain in her heart increased tenfold at that thought and she clutched at her chest gasping, a throbbing in her head made itself known and she cried out before blackness enveloped her and she knew no more.

Fuzziness was the first thing that made itself known to her groggy mind as she blinked rapidly to clear her blurry vision. A face swam into focus above her and she registered the soft surface beneath her head as someone's knees, she moaned softly at the blinding pain in her head. "Shhh" a soft voice whispered as a hand gently stroked her hair "you're alright."

That voice, achingly familiar, there was only one person it could possibly be, she shot upright and winced, swaying slightly at the sudden light headedness. "Easy" he laughed as she stared at him wide eyed, "Haku is that really you?" she cried, he laughed at the shock on her face and nodded, "the one and only, it is so good to see you Chihiro, I missed you" he smiled and opened his arms welcomingly towards her. She took one last look at him and threw herself on him, hugging him tightly and sobbing. "I thought you would never come back, it's been so long since I saw you and everyone was telling me I was crazy, I was beginning to believe it and it hurt so much!" Haku flinched and held her tighter at the words she spoke in his ear, "i'm so sorry, I came as soon as I could and I never meant to hurt you, can you ever forgive me?" he whispered kissing her on the head.


	2. Chapter 2

Once she had gotten over the initial shock of seeing Haku again, Chihiro pulled back and stared intently at him, noting all the little changes to him in the last four years. Haku laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, a light blush dusting his features. "Do you think you could stop staring Chihiro, it's a little disturbing." She blushed bright red and her gaze shot to the floor, is laughter became genuine at her obvious embarrassment and he patted her gently on the head.

"It's okay Chihiro, but on to more important matters, what were you doing out here, passed out on the floor?" he asked, voice tinged with concern. "I'm not entirely sure" she replied slowly, " some girls were telling me you weren't real and you would never come back and it hurt a lot!" she paused and looked away, "I ran as fast as I could and ended up here but my heart hurt so much and my head, I thought... I thought you had forgotton about me!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face once more.

They sat there in silence for a few moments after she said that, Haku staring at the ground guiltily lost in thought. He reached out and gently cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. He rubbed her cheek softly with his thumb and whispered "I could never forget you Chihiro, I could never forget." Chihiro blushed once more and looked at his softly smiling face and his sea green eyes, wondering how she could ever have doubted him. Suddenly Haku scooped her up in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other around her back holding her close. She squealed in surprise and automatically wrapped her arms around his neck, due to their closeness she felt the rumble of his laugh vibrate deep in his chest and the beating of his heart so close to her.

"Haku" She exclaimed "what are you doing?", "taking you home of course" he placed his forehead gently against hers "yes, I thought so, you have a fever!"She opened her mouth to protest as he started walking down the road, feet crunching on the golden leaves from the dying branches of deciduous trees, but she closed it again as the rhythm of his breathing and the gentle rocking of his arms made her drowsy and relaxed, feeling safe for the first time in a long time just being in his arms.

It took close to two hours for Haku to walk home, traipsing down small dirt roads and through alleyways to Chihiro's house, a two story cottage on top of a big hill, about a ten minute walk from the town centre and a forest. Haku slowly walked towards her house, careful not to jostle her awake he unlatched the small heart shaped iron gate and carried on towards her front door. Once they had reached her door, Haku set her gently on her feet and shook her gently into consciousness, "Chihiro, Chihiro you're home" she blearily opened her eyes and stared at her front door as if she had never seen it before, suddenly she whirled towards Haku. "Don't leave me" she croaked out to him, "stay please, pretend you're an exchange student or something" she begged " just don't leave me" Haku looked at her red fever filled face and sighed inwardly, ' this is gonna be tricky to pull off but I can't leave her like this' he sighed again and smiled at her, "Ok, I won't leave" he laughed " but I am now Haku from Hokkaido on a trip to see Osaka" Chihiro laughed and they both turned and waited in amicable silence, hand in hand, for her parents to open the door.


End file.
